Missing
by Moonlit-Phantom
Summary: When Danny is spending some friendly time with Valerie, Sam starts to feel uncomfortable, and makes a wish without really thinking. What happens when this wish has dire consequences? Full summary inside.
1. Ghost Hunts and Curfews

**Woot, I have finally come up with a better story idea! (At least, I hope so. My previous – and first – story was blech. I reread it, and realized it was kind of cliché and… well, dull. I'm really hoping that the break between my first attempt and the story you're about to begin reading is worthwhile.) Anyways, I shall now present my first chapter, right after my disclaimer…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. If I did, I'd have so much fun messing with the fans' minds… just kidding. (Although actually, that'd be kind of fun.)**

**Now… enjoy the fanfic! (Well, at least I hope you'll enjoy it. :)…)**

Summary: After the break-up between Danny and Valerie in _Flirting With Disaster_, a friendly relationship remains, despite the lack of romance. However, this still frustrates Sam, and she finds herself wishing that Valerie were out of the picture. Desiree, of course, grants this wish, and Valerie is suddenly declared missing from Amity Park. Can Valerie be saved, or have Sam's words trapped her in a mysterious place that has yet to be explored beyond the myths?

Chapter 1

"I am the Box Ghost! Fear me, and all things cardboard and square!"

Danny Phantom smacked his forehead, before holding up his thermos and aiming it at the ghostly blue midget that was floating in front of him. Granted, the Box Ghost was never much of a threat at all, but that didn't make him any less annoying. Danny knew full well that his time could easily be spent doing something more productive and, of course, more enjoyable.

"So long, Boxy," the half-ghost grumbled, as the Box Ghost was quickly sucked into the Fenton thermos, shouting out his usual cry of, _"You cannot contain me in your cylindrical device!"_

With a sigh of content, Danny turned around to fly home. The full moon illuminated the watch on his wrist, causing him to speed up a little. He had ten minutes to get home, or else he would miss his ten o'clock curfew for the third night in a row. If that were to happen, Jack Fenton threatened to limit his online time, which Danny normally spent playing _Doomed_ with Sam and Tucker. They had avoided it after the incident with Technus, but after he unsuccessfully proceeded to enter space from Axion Labs, they were reassured that the game was safe from any ghostly attacks.

Unfortunately, a sudden blast caught Danny off guard whilst he was lost in his scheming thoughts, which sent him painfully flying into the side of a towering clock. Danny took a brief second to glance up at it, and its hands revealed that it was eight minutes until his curfew. A sweat drop slid down his cheek as he turned to see what had initiated the commotion – Valerie Gray.

"Think I forgot about you, ghost?" she commented, before firing her gun for the second time. The blast got Danny's arm, causing him to do a midair back flip and lose his balance. This bought Valerie a little bit of time as she reloaded her gun. Of course, Danny didn't exactly have the guts to hurt her, anyway. She was a ghost-hunter, yes, but it seemed mightily awkward to fire away at your friend, who was also your ex-girlfriend. It was times like these where Danny hated the consequences that came with his ghost powers – particularly his secret identity.

"Will you stop shooting already?" Danny called out, as he summoned a ghost shield to protect him from another one of Valerie's blasts.

"Why should I trust you?" the huntress shot back. "What would I gain from _that_?"

"Well, a lot of free time would be a good place to start," Danny retorted, before another blast threw him to the ground. "How often are you out fighting ghosts, anyway?"

Through her transparent mask, he could see Valerie's eyes narrow as she grew more angry. "It isn't any of your business how often I'm out," she said through gritted teeth, "but I have to fight you and your stupid little friends whenever they come out and attack. You think you can do whatever you want with your innocent act, but I see right through that."

"What innocent act?" Danny cried out in sheer frustration. "_I'm_ the one who helps send the other ghosts back to the Ghost Zone – I'm on your side! We have the same enemies!"

If Valerie wasn't too busy concentrating on the ghost-boy, she would've rolled her eyes at his remark. "Just because we share some enemies doesn't mean you're off my own list. We'd all be better off without you, and I'm the only one in this town who has the weapons to do it."

"Well now would be a good time to drop that 'duty' of yours," Danny replied, gesturing at the clock. "I don't really have the time right now!" _Time?_ he thought to himself. _Oh, crud, I forgot all about it!_

"My curfew!" both he and Valerie exclaimed at the same time. Shortly afterwards, the huntress gave the ghost-boy a funny look. "You have a curfew?"

Danny mentally slapped himself, as he quickly gave the best excuse he could muster, "Uh, yeah. Ghosts still have to be home by ten, you know. I better get going."

With his last words hanging in the air, Danny spun around and flew for his life, as Valerie's last gunshot missed his back by an inch. Her mind was on other things, which included her unsuccessful ghost-mission, and the curfew she was about to miss.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Where were you just a few minutes ago, son?" Jack Fenton asked, standing in the doorway of Danny's room. He looked down upon Danny as the boy inconspicuously took a good grip on the tip of his sheets, while his mind unsuccessfully raced to find a good excuse.

Without much luck, Danny managed, "I was here the whole time, Dad. You were probably too busy with your invention thingamajig to notice."

Jack scratched his head, as he contemplated what his son had just told him. Finally, he said, "You're probably right. I can't hear much down in the basement. Besides, it's not like you're hiding some big secret from me or anything." With that, Jack gave Danny a friendly, yet painful whack on the back before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

As Danny switched off his bedroom lights, his father's last words hung in the air. With a sigh, Danny muttered under his breath, "You'd be surprised, Dad. Very surprised."

**A/N: Yeah, the first chapter is kind of short. I'll admit, I'm not that great at action scenes, although that was probably evident already. The next chapter gets into it a bit more, but I didn't think it would work putting it right after this scene. It would seem a bit weird if it jumped directly into the next day; particularly because the next few scenes fit better if they're all together.**

**Well, I hope the first chapter turned out okay. Sam does make her wish very soon, and then the real story will begin. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, because the only way to go is forward.**


	2. Damaged Spirits

**Well, here's chapter two. I know that I only have one review so far, but I take it that the first chapter was pretty dull. (It was more or less an opener/introduction, I guess.) Of course, there's the possibility that not many people read it anyway, so as I do my best not to sound whiny, I kindly ask you review. Even if you find it horrible, I'd love it if you could leave some constructive criticism to tell me what I need to work on. Many thanks, and that's the end of my favor–asking. (I really hope I don't sound like a brat now… -thinks- Heh, I do a little. Sorry about that.)**

Chapter 2

"Yes! It's finally here!" Sam shouted enthusiastically, as she, Danny, and Tucker walked past the movie theatre to see the posters for the coming attractions.

"Which one?" Tucker asked, as he shoved his PDA into his pocket and glanced up to see what Sam was talking about.

"_Trinity of Doom II: The Ultimate Showdown_!" Sam answered with pure excitement, gesturing to the movie poster that showed Femalien, Terminatra, and Nightmerica in threatening poses, each looking ready to attack of either of her opponents.

Danny turned around to face Sam, but her attention was still on the poster, a little gleam in her eye as she scanned her favorite two-dimensional antagonists. A worried expression grew on Danny's face, as he remembered the last time Sam had wanted to see a _Trinity of Doom_ movie. If there was anything he didn't want this weekend, it was a couple of villains running around town, when they should be on screen.

With a quick sigh, Danny said, "You better not wish them into reality again. The last time that happened, they kept on showing up to hunt down Paulina."

Upon hearing his comment, Sam's grin only widened. "I know." When Danny gave her a frustrated look, however, she caved in, her two hands held up in the air mockingly. "All right, I won't wish them out of a movie poster again. Even if it was funny the first time, I don't want to jeopardize my friend's weekend."

Danny chuckled at Sam's comment, once he realized that she was only teasing him. Just as he opened his mouth, however, his eyes closed for a few seconds, before they opened again. Shaking his head, he kept on walking with Sam and Tucker.

"Another night of sucking ghosts in the thermos?" Tucker asked, as Danny nearly fell asleep for the umpteenth time. All afternoon, his friend had been oblivious and unaware of things. It wasn't unusual for Danny to be a little sleepy after a long night, but Tucker and Sam both knew that it was good for him to get some decent sleep every once in a while, which wasn't happening lately.

"Worse than that," Danny replied. "My ghost sense went off, and I found out that it was all for nothing when I ran into the Box Ghost. Then, I miss my curfew when Valerie shows up."

"So, what'd you do this time?" Sam inquired. "Send her off into space again?"

"In case you didn't know, it was Technus who made us follow him into space," Danny said. "And second, I wouldn't hurt Valerie. She may not know I'm Danny Phantom, but she's still my friend."

"And your ex-girlfriend," Tucker added, but he was prevented from making any further comments when Sam sent him a death glare, followed by a rough elbowing. This only caused a wide smirk to grow on his face.

"Yeah, I know that, Tucker," Danny said, "but I don't think we'll be dating again anytime soon. She says that her life is too busy, and she doesn't want me to get hurt."

"Pfft, I'm sure that's _exactly_ what she's thinking," Sam remarked sarcastically. "Her whole life is devoted to annihilating Danny Phantom."

"You should really give her a chance, Sam. Besides, she doesn't know that I'm half-ghost. As long as she doesn't find out anything, and I'm still alive, nothing bad happens."

"All right, fine, Sam grumbled. "Hang out with the ghost-hunter that's out to get you. You'll be just _fine_."

Danny sighed. "You can drop the sarcasm now, Sam."

At that moment, Sam couldn't really take her friend's comments any longer. "No, I won't drop the sarcasm," she said firmly, "because I don't want you to get hurt. Do you know what I'd do if Valerie was actually successful for once?"

"Relax; I'll be fine," Danny assured her. "Just because I won't knock Valerie out doesn't mean that I'll allow her to do it to me. I have everything under control."

"I think you spoke too soon," Tucker interrupted, as he jabbed his finger behind him, pointing to the girl strolling towards them, a bright expression on her face as she waved to Danny and his friends. Her two bracelets dangled on her wrist as she quickened her pace to catch up to the trio.

"I second that, Tucker," Sam muttered under her breath.

"Hey, guys," Valerie greeted, before Sam could protest her being there. "How's it going?"

"Oh, uh, things are great," Danny replied, as he stuttered over his first few words. Sam rolled her eyes in disgust, but Valerie was oblivious to her gesture.

"That's good. My dad's at some board meeting at Axion, so I decided to take a walk around town. I'm really glad I bumped into you." As her last sentence escaped her mouth, Sam decided to take action against their conversation.

"Listen, Valerie, we'd really like to talk to you, but we gotta go. Tonight's… movie fest night at my house."

"Movie fest?" Tucker inquired. "I thought we were – ow!" Sam painfully nudged his arm, and glared at him. While rubbing his arm, Tucker added, "Yeah, we're kinda busy, Valerie. We need to go."

"Oh, that's okay," Valerie replied. "I'll see you around some other time."

With conspicuous satisfaction, Sam walked over towards the end of the sidewalk, in the direction of her house for her supposed movie fest. Danny, however, joined her for a few second before taking a deep breath and calling, "Hey, Val?"

As her name hung in the air, Valerie stopped and turned around to face Danny again. "Yeah?"

Danny, who was trying to piece together what he wanted to say as quickly as possible in his head, finally said, "Well, I was wondering if, you know, maybe you wanted to hang out sometime. Not like a date or anything, but just to see a movie or something. Me, Sam, and Tucker are seeing _Trinity of Doom: II_ later this weekend, if you wanna come with us. It looks awesome."

Luckily for Danny, his back was turned to Sam. Her eyes were as cold as ice, and she nearly dented the pole next to her, which held the button that you pressed to cross the street. As always, of course, the only person who was aware of her anger was Tucker.

Meanwhile, Valerie thought about Danny's offer to see _Trinity of Doom: II_. She didn't want to get into another serious relationship, for fear of Danny getting hurt. However, a friendly date was an offer that she didn't want to pass up. Her schedule for this weekend was empty enough as it was, if you didn't count her shifts at Nasty Burger.

Finally, after coming to a final decision, she replied, "Sure. When are you guys going?"

Danny, who honestly hadn't expected her to say yes, raced through his mind to find the right day. "Does Friday night work? That way we can see the premiere."

"That works for me. I'll meet you here Friday night. I'll call you if I have a problem," Valerie said, the smile returning to her face as she waved again to the trio and took her leave. Just before she turned the corner, Danny called out, "Yeah, uh, call if you need anything! See ya Friday!" As soon as Valerie was out of sight, he turned back around to face Sam, whose face looked like a bomb about to explode.

Before Danny could say anything, Sam burst, "Why did you invite her to _Trinity of Doom: II_? She's gonna ruin the whole movie, not to mention our weekend!"

"Chill out, will you?" Danny protested. "She's not going to wreck anything. It'll be fine."

"No, Danny, it won't be fine. What if there's a ghost attack during the movie? Valerie will be right there, ready to blast Danny Phantom into bits."

While Sam grew more agitated and frustrated, Danny's patience wore thin. "You know, once you ignore the whole 'ghost hunter' thing, she's really not that bad."

"If she's not as bad you say, then how come you guys broke up?" Sam demanded, completely oblivious to the red-eyed, ghostly being in the gutter below her feet, who was listening intently to the two friends' bickering.

_Anger…_ _one of the strongest human emotions. _the ghost thought to herself, as her evil grin widened. _This girl is more useful than she first appears to be. I should have fun toying with her emotions, if she's as amusing as the last time._

Meanwhile, Danny's frustration rose at the mention of his recent break-up with Valerie. "Hey, you stop butting into my love life anytime now. Why do you care so much about who I'm dating? First you're mad when I go within ten feet of Paulina, and now you're all uptight about Valerie? Even my parents don't get that tense about who I'm seeing."

"Yeah? Well, that's because I care, Danny, and I know your secret. Do you think I'd let you get close to someone who's bent on wasting you? It's you who doesn't understand!"

As Sam ended her statement, Danny stopped. _Does she really care that much? Is she really trying to save me, and help me out before Danny Phantom gets blasted…? Or is she just messing with me? She never got along with Paulina, and Valerie isn't any different. And she _can_ be a little pushy with her beliefs…_ Growing even more frustrated with himself, Danny put the debating voices in his head to a halt, and came to a final consensus, "Sometimes I think you have that backwards, Sam."

Shocked, Sam didn't know how to respond. Of course she cared for Danny – she had the biggest crush on him, for crying out loud! _How did Danny ever come to this? Can't he see that I don't want him to get hurt?_

Sam shook her head, knocking all of the thoughts out of her head. If Danny didn't see that she cared, then so be it. "Fine, Danny. Believe what you want about me. You go see _Doomed: II_ with Valerie. I hope you have the time of your life." With that, Sam grabbed Tucker's wrist and pulled him down the street with her, leaving a confused Danny standing on the other side of the sidewalk, having no clue what to say.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After a bit of walking and a lot of silence, Tucker finally spoke up, despite his fear of further angering his friend. "Sam, are you okay? Ever since we left Danny, you haven't said anything, and you nearly spaced out at the last traffic light. We could've gotten run over by that car."

With an eye roll, Sam greeted the broken silence with the frustration she had been carrying with her since Danny's departure. "Oh, I'm fine," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Danny's perfectly happy without us, and I'm going home to a movie fest that I never even intended on having until this afternoon. Everything's _great_."

Tucker sighed. "You know, you really shouldn't blame Danny for all of this; or yourself, either. Both of you were in a bad mood, and neither of you meant what you said."

"Oh, I think Danny meant what he said, Tucker. I bet he's off looking for Valerie _right now._"

Before Sam could say anything more, however, Tucker took her by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. "I doubt that he is. If anything, he probably feels guilty for what he said. He may be clueless, but sometimes you're just as oblivious as he is. He _does_ care about you."

Sam halted, and sunk into the bench along the side of the street. After taking a few breaths of air, she queried, "Do you really think so, Tucker? He probably hates me now."

"I'm sure he doesn't. Just lighten up, and things will work themselves out tomorrow. As long as you keep Friday night in mind, the week will…" Tucker stopped, as he suddenly remembered Valerie's recent invitation to see the movie with them.

"Yeah, well that might not be as fun as we thought a while ago," Sam retorted. "With Valerie around, all I'm going to get is another fight with Danny. Sometimes I wish that Valerie wasn't around, you know? She just gets in the way."

Tucker sighed, before adding, "Well, I guess we can agree on one thing. How about we keep Valerie off our minds and enjoy that movie fest?"

Sam's eyes narrowed, as she jokingly elbowed Tucker in the side. "Oh, so to cheer _me_ up, you're gonna take me to _my_ house, to watch some of _my_ movies?" As Tucker's mouth opened to respond, Sam added, "I'm just kidding. Let's prep for Friday and watch _Trinity of Doom_. I have the special edition DVD with the best added features."

Grabbing Tucker's arm once more, the two friends raced down the street for the movie to enjoy _Trinity of Doom_. When they were out of sight, the ghostly genie emerged from the sewer gutter, her arms in the air and a grin on her face. "You want that girl out of the way? Well, that can be arranged." With a quick evil laugh, Desiree chanted, "So you have wished it, so it shall be."

**A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 2. The wish is out there, and now the big trouble begins. I hope to see you in Chapter 3. :)**


	3. Valerie, MIA

**Heh, I knew it would take me a while to post again, but I didn't anticipate this much of a time gap. (Darn homework and computer usage limitations.) Now I have to make sure my story fits with "Double Cross My Heart". Eeeeh! If you see something OOC, don't worry about sounding critical. As long as you don't flame me to no end, it can only help the story, no?**

**-shrugs- Eh, just read what you want and enjoy Chapter 3. :)**

"_Yeah? Well, that's because I care, Danny, and I know your secret. Do you think I'd let you get close to someone who's bent on wasting you? It's you who doesn't understand!"_

_It's you who doesn't understand._

_I hope you have the time of your life._

As Danny tossed around in bed that night, Sam's words kept replaying in his head. Then came his own comments, which sent a pang of guilt throughout his body. He had told her that she didn't care. He said that straight to his friend's face. Did he really doubt her?

The cold breeze blew through his open window as he covered his head with his pillow. "_Why do I have to speak before I think it over?"_ he asked himself._ "I always wind up saying the wrong things, and I lose my friends."_

At the thought of losing Sam and Tucker, Danny only exerted pressure on the pillow atop his head. He had already lost them before in various situations. He'd lost them to popularity, his habit of taking things for granted, and another guy. Now it was because of his big mouth.

"Well, you know what to do tomorrow," he muttered softly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was a cold and breezy day in Amity Park. Jackets were zipped and hugged tightly against them, and the light, powdery snow from the previous night's flurry was sprinkled all over the streets, waiting patiently for the reluctant students to tread over them. As Tucker rubbed his own hands together, his cold breath danced in the air while he spoke, "Do you think it could have snowed any more lightly then this? We could have had a snow day today."

"Well, you know the school. They only cancel for deadly blizzards and major ghost attacks."

"That's what we need, then – a snow ghost."

"Funny, Tucker," Sam commented sarcastically, as she twiddled her thumbs in front of her. She wasn't normally one to act odd when she was uneasy, but the feeling she currently had felt strangely new to her, and it was unwelcoming at the same time.

Noticing his friend's mood, Tucker added, "Lighten up, Sam. You and Danny are gonna resolve everything. You've known each other since second grade."

"I know, Tucker. But what if hurt his feelings so bad, that now he's going to spend all his time with… Valerie?"

"Relax, Sam. Have you seen how Danny acts around her? Since the break-up, he's acting even_ more_ uncomfortable around Valerie. I told you it was just puppy love."

With a heavy sigh, Sam lied, "I guess you're right." While Sam didn't want to continue the conversation that involved both her friendship with Danny and their love lives, she knew (much to her dismay) that Danny wasn't over Valerie. The way he looked at her at Nasty Burger just the other week was proof enough for her broken heart. It was the living proof that mocked her affections, and told her that her feelings for Danny may never be returned.

"Sam? Sam, are you alright?" Tucker asked, as he waved his hand in front of Sam's face.

"Huh?" With a quick shake of the head, Sam realized that they had reached Casper High, and while she was lost in thought, she had forgotten to turn around a corner and nearly bumped into a wall. "Oh, yeah… I'm fine."

"Whatever you say," Tucker said with a shrug. "Just remember that _Danny _is the one with intangibility."

Sam rolled her eyes, as the two teens walked up the stairs into Casper High. "I can never understand what it is with you and lame jokes. Have you been secretly chatting with Dash?"

"Lay off, will you?" Tucker said in defense. "I know your ticked, but don't take it out on me. I don't want me, you, and Danny to be completely split up."

"Fine," Sam huffed. "Let's just get through one day without awkwardly bumping into –"

"Danny, over here!"

"Yes, Tucker. _Danny_."

"Hey, Tuck," Danny replied. Without turning to face her, he added, "Hey, Sam."

"Hi to you, too," Sam retorted. "How'd the rest of your day go?"

In response, Danny's eyes dimmed slightly. "Not good. Listen, Sam, I'm really –"

"What, Danny? Glad you finally shook me off?"

"No, that's not it!" Danny cried. "I wanted to say that I'm –"

"Mr. Fenton, if I could speak with you for one moment," Lancer interrupted.

As he turned around, Danny gulped. "I'll, uh, tell you in class, Sam."

"You do that, Danny," she sighed. "I'll see you in first period."

After giving Sam a weak smile, Danny reluctantly followed Mr. Lancer down the hallway and into his office, as a shiver went down his spine. What had happened this time? He hadn't had any late assignments this week, and he managed to cut down his time skipping class. What was Lancer's reason for interrupting his conversation, pulling him down the hallway, and bringing him into his office without telling him what he had down wrong?

However, Danny was soon even more perplexed. When he entered Lancer's office, he found that Damon Gray was waiting for them there, along with Star.

"I'm guessing that this isn't about an assignment I forgot to turn in," Danny thought aloud.

"No, it isn't at all," Lancer replied. "I have you and Ms. Sanders here to ask you about Valerie."

"Oh, don't even get me _started_," Star said. "I haven't spoken with her since yesterday, she isn't talking to me."

"She isn't talking to me, either," Danny added. "Is she home sick, Mr. Gray?"

"No, she isn't," he replied solemnly. "I was at an Axion meeting yesterday afternoon, and I came home before her. When she went over her curfew, I held out as best I could, but I eventually had to call the police. They weren't able to find her, and they are still looking."

"Oh. My. _God_. So _that_ explains everything!" Star exclaimed. "I was beginning to think we weren't friends anymore."

Ignoring Star's comment, Danny asked, "So you haven't seen her since yesterday?"

"Exactly. I was hoping one of you might have a better idea than I do, since you both know her well, but it looks as if no one has any clue."

Not knowing what to say, Danny sat there. Where had Valerie gone? She wasn't the type to just leave and not give notice. The only reasonably explanation would be an extreme ghost attack, but Danny wasn't aware of anything of the sort. Something of that nature would probably have Jack and Maddie running at the school, fully armed and ready to both exterminate any ghosts and unintentionally embarrass Danny. Had Valerie ran away from home? Had she been kidnapped? Was one of Danny's enemies trying to get close to him?

So many thoughts were swimming in Danny's head, that he hardly noticed Star leave the office. Startled, he finally said, "I hope you find Valerie, Mr. Gray. I'll let you know if I hear anything that would help you."

Danny could see him smile as best he could, before turning away towards the office exit and replying, "Thank you, Danny. It means a lot to know that Valerie has such good friends like you."

Once again unsure of what to say, Danny nodded. As if reading his mind, Lancer said calmly, "I think it's time for you to start your classes, Mr. Fenton. You can't afford to miss any more of your classes."

With a second nod, Danny walked in the direction of Lancer's gesture and out of the office. Without really paying attention to his surroundings, he continued to walk down the hall to his next class, letting his feet carry him and leaving his mind to wander.

–**drumroll– Ta-da! Valerie's gone now! Or is she… –shifty eyes– Dun dun dun… Anywho, I hoped you liked the chapter, and I'll see you in the next chapter! There might be some difficulties in updating, because I have some internet restrictions, (which are parentally enforced; go figure) but I will keep working on this story. Your reviews mean a lot to me, and they boost my ego. –feeds points to ego– Also, stay tuned for a commercial on YouTube! I can finally make movies, and I'll be posting a fanfic commercial, which I'll give a link to in my profile. Thanks again, and adios!**

**Now… review, my readers! Review! –laughs evilly and flies off on a broom–**


End file.
